Promises Made and Unfulfilled
by AleryaLeveilli
Summary: This is a companion to my story, Strength of a Different Kind. This is Rin's experinces and the promises she made during the Kyuubi's attack, when she was rescued, her return to Konoha and afterward. Contains some KakashixRin fluff and some angst.


Author's note: Here it is, my one shot from Rin's point of view. It mostly talks about her experince when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, and when she was rescued from the Iwas. I had fun with this, and had to make sure it meshed with my story, Strength of a Different Kind. Please review and tell me what you think. There are some hints about what will happen in the future of my other fic, but you'll have to read and see. This is my first one-shot. No flames allowed, Please! Enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Naruto! I just own the plot because when I saw Rin in the Kakashi Chronicles, I wanted to write something from her point of view.

* * *

"Rin Norita, we are sending you to support a team currently repelling guerilla attacks from Ame ninjas by Fire's border," the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi stated as he gave me my mission orders. Even though the Third Great Shinobi War had ended when I was thirteen, there were still tensions between other hidden villages.

"I will head out tomorrow, Hokage-sama," I said, and added, "Have you had a chance to review the papers I gave you?"

"Yes, I have and I can assure you that they will be approved when you return to Konoha," he said with a smile. "Ja ne, Rin."

I left the office and as I exited the Hokage tower, I stopped to gaze at the stone face of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, my old sensei. He had died three years ago, the night the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked Konoha.

I took a deep breath as I relived memories of that night. **"Minato-sensei, Kushina-neechan, what are you going to name him?" I asked, filling out the birth certificate. **

"**Naruto Namikaze," Kushina said and then turned her green eyes to Minato. "Do you have to do this? Isn't there another way to stop the Kyuubi?"**

"**No, there isn't. Kushina, I have to take him and I have to be the one to do this," he replied, starting to take the newborn baby boy from his wife's arms. "I can't ask someone to make a sacrifice I'm not willing to make myself. I have to do this, and Naruto has to be the one I seal him into."**

"**Just wait a moment, Sensei," I said, "Let me get a picture or two, that way Naruto can see all three of you together as a family." I took the camera and took four pictures in quick succession, one of Minato holding Naruto, two of the three of them, and one final one of Kushina handing Naruto to Minato as he bade her farewell**_._

"**Take care of her, Rin," he said as he left, "Naruto needs his mother."**

"**I will, I promise, Minato-sensei," I replied and watched him leave with his newborn baby boy in his arms. I blinked away the tears and turned to Kushina. I quickly examined her, "You're bleeding, neechan, but I can take care of it."**

**She nodded through her tears, and I got to work. It took longer than I expected, but I was able to stop it. I took a quick glance at her face, she was deathly pale. I ran a quick diagnostic jutsu and sighed. "You lost a lot of blood, neechan. You need a transfusion." **

"**Okay, imotochan, you're the expert. I'm no medic," she weakly joked.**

**I smiled at her, grateful she was able to sound positive while her husband was out sacrificing himself to seal the demon into their son. She was strong, and I knew she would survive this. "I'm not the one who was trained by the medical genius Tsunade. I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't move a muscle."**

"**I won't."**

"**Good, I promised Sensei I would take care of you, so you must let me do so." I left the room and navigated through the chaos of the hospital trying to get some blood for my neechan. It took me forever, there were so many wounded that needed blood! I finally had enough and screamed at a doctor, "The Yondaime's wife desperately needs blood! Please, give it to me, or we'll lose yet another great ninja this night." **

**He got me what I needed, and I ran back to Kushina's room. Once I opened the door, I was shocked to see the sheets stained with blood. **_**Oh, Kami, please no!**_** I ran to her and performed another diagnostic. It was as I had feared, the bleeding had started up again. No amount of blood could save her now, but that didn't mean I wouldn't try.**

"**Rin-chan, its okay," she whispered, "It's not your fault. Please take care of Naruto."**

"**No, Kushina-neechan!" I ordered, "Your son needs you! He will lose his father tonight; he cannot lose his mother as well! Stay here, stay for him!"**

"**I can't, imotochan. I know I am going to join Minato soon. Please, take care of and protect Naruto in my place, both you and Kakashi. Promise me, Rin."**

**I finally stopped my frantic healing and moved to take her hand in my own. "I promise, neechan. I will take care of him, and make sure he knows how much his parents loved him. Kakashi will also help, he will do anything for you and Sensei."**

**She smiled, not her usual one, full of life, but a peaceful, resigned one, "Minato, I am coming. I am sorry, Naruto." The life faded from her eyes and her hand grew limp in mine. I began to cry, even harder than when Obito had died the previous year. **

"**I'm sorry, Sensei, I couldn't save her," I whispered, staying in the room with Kushina's body. I glanced at the clock, and noticed that the commotion from outside had stopped. "He did it," I whispered, "Minato-sensei stopped the Kyuubi."**

**About an hour later, the Sandaime and Jiraiya-sama entered the room, the Sandaime holding Naruto. "I failed him," I told them, "she's dead. Please, give me Naruto. She made me promise to take care of him, and I won't fail her, like I did Minato-sensei." **

**As I took the baby from him, the Sandaime said, "He will have to be taken to the orphanage."**

"**No, I will take care of him," I protested.**

"**Rin, you are only fourteen. You're still a minor. I cannot allow you to adopt him until after you are sixteen, preferably after you make Jonin. Then you can work here in the hospital and take care of Naruto."**

"**May I at least tell Kakashi?"**

"**No, no one may know that Naruto is the Yondaime's son. He will go by his mother's name until he is sixteen. I'm sorry Rin, but I have to protect him from Minato's enemies. This is an S-ranked class secret."**

**They took Naruto from my arms and left me alone. I was there when Minato-sensei's body was brought in, and placed next to Kushina's body.**

**An ANBU with a dog-mask came in, "Rin, what happened to Kushina-neechan?" I buried my head into my hands in shame.  
**

"**She's dead, I couldn't stop the bleeding," I replied in between sobs, tears flowing down my face. He placed an arm around my shoulders trying to calm me down  
**

"**What about their baby?"**

"**Gone," was the only thing I could say, "He's gone."**

I smiled as I headed toward the orphanage. _I can finally fulfill my promise to you, Kushina-neechan. And I am going to tell Kakashi who Naruto really is when I adopt him. _I had a small package with me, which I was going to give to Naruto.

"Hello, Norita-san. I see you've become a Jonin," the young woman at the front desk greeted me.

"I have a present for Naruto Uzumaki," I said, "I am leaving on a mission and don't know when I'll return. May I give it to him?"

"Sure. He is a sweet kid, despite what is sealed inside of him. Let me get him." A few minutes later, she led a small blonde boy with blue eyes and three whisker-scars on each cheek to me. I grinned, he looked so much like Minato-sensei, and I was glad to be able to get him out of here.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," I said, giving the toddler a hug. "I have to go on a mission, so I'll miss your birthday. Here's your birthday present."

"Thank you, neechan!" he happily said and promptly tore into the gift. I had given him a small stuffed frog and a blue blanket. He gave me a huge smile and hugged my legs. "Do you have to go?"

"Yes, I'm a ninja, Naruto. I have to go to help protect the village."

"I wanna be a ninja too!"

"I have a feeling that you will be one of the greatest, Naruto-kun," I said as I picked him up and cuddled him. "Be a good boy, and I'll see you when I get back. Hopefully you won't have to live here anymore."

"Okay. Bye bye, neechan!"

I whispered to the girl at the front desk, "Keep him safe on that day, and don't let him out of the orphanage." She nodded in understanding.

As I left the orphanage, I ran into a silver-haired ANBU with a dog mask and a whitish-silver hilted katana. "Visiting the boy you saved when the Kyuubi attacked?" he asked, a touch of humor in his voice. "Why don't you just adopt him?"

"I just submitted the paperwork to do so. It will be finalized when I get home from this mission." I turned to look at him, "Were you following me, Kakashi?"

"I heard you were leaving tomorrow on a mission." Even though I couldn't see my old teammate's face, I could tell he was nervous. _Wait, when do the words Kakashi and nervous belong in the same sentence?_

I blushed slightly. I still had strong feelings for him, even after everything we had been through. "Do you want to go get some dinner after I get back?"

"Er, are you sure?"

I smiled and snatched the ANBU mask off of his face. "I am sure. I know why you left me behind when we were going to destroy the Nannabi Bridge. I also know that once it had been done, you would have come back for me. I don't blame you for Obito's death. We're ninja, it happens. I know Obito had feelings for me, and you think it would be betraying him to make a move on me. If he was here, he'd smack you over the head and tell you to go out with me."

He cracked an unseen smile, "You're right, as usual."

"Now you're getting me mixed up with Minato-sensei," I laughed, "So, it's a date?"

"Sure, when you get back. Will you take me to meet your orphan as well?"

"I'll take you to see Naruto-kun once we get back. He is a sweet kid, even though he is the one Sensei used to stop the fox."

"Now I really want to meet him," Kakashi said, sounding intrigued.

"Okay, that will be part of our date once I get back." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "And you can't wear any masks; I don't want you to scare him."

"I look forward to it," he said. We parted ways so I could prepare for my mission. I had no idea that I would never get that date with Kakashi, or see my sensei's son for a very long time.

* * *

(Fourteen years later)

"Hey, you, medic, we need your skills," the leader of the group of rogue Iwa ninja called to me. I had been captured on that mission and the rest of the team had been killed. When the bandits that had captured me found out that Konoha's Yellow Flash had been my sensei, they turned me over to the Iwas for the bounty on my head. The Iwa shinobi knew I was the one who had transplanted Obito's Sharingan into Kakashi, so they kept me alive in hopes I would do it again. They treated me somewhat decently, and I was allowed to teach some people medical jutsu. When this group struck out, they had kidnapped me from my house there, and brought me here. This was the closest I had been to Konoha in several years.

"We just received word that Konoha sent a squad on shinobi after us. One of them is a female Main Branch Hyuga. If we capture her, you will take her eyes and implant them into one of my people."

"What if I refuse?"

He leered at me, "I can't kill you, but I certainly can make use of your body. I hear the Hyuga ninja is also quite the looker. We should leave her alive once her eyes are gone."

"Fine, keep your hands off," I growled. That was the main threat these rogues used against me. I hadn't been touched inappropriately during my entire imprisonment, because of my usefulness as a medic. Now I was constantly living in fear of it.

Once I was taken to where the wounded and dead were, I was shocked. Only four people were still alive, and just barely. "It's almost like Minato-sensei's handiwork," I murmured as I was forced to tend the wounded. "Why didn't they bring one of their own medics?" I grumbled.

Over the next few weeks, there were more wounded and dead brought to the camp, almost daily. The survivors told of a senbon throwing kunoichi, a Hyuga kunoichi who wielded an Uzu Katana, and a blonde ninja with a striking resemblance to the Yellow Flash who could use the Hiraishin and Rasengan. These tales caused quite a few to desert, but most stayed.

I was finally brought to the leader. "Tell me, did your sensei have a child?" the leader demanded.

"His wife was Kushina Uzumaki, last of the Uzugakure ninja, and Katana Mistress of Konoha," I replied, "I don't know about a child. They would have kept it a secret to keep their child protected from the likes of you if they'd had one."

"Insolent woman!" He backhanded me roughly across the mouth.

Another ninja ran in, "Higurai-sama! We are under attack by the Konoha Sannin!"

"Try to capture the Hyuga!"

"We can't! They've summoned a huge slug and two large toads. We can't stand against them!"

I was in shock. My people were here. I had to take this chance to get home. I reached into my old, tattered backpack, and pulled out a kunai I had concealed underneath a false bottom. It was one of Minato-sensei's tri-kunai. "You will not hold me any longer," I declared, and let the kunai fly straight into the leader's throat. "I am a Konoha Shinobi and am going home!"

I retrieved the tri-kunai and stabbed the other and left the tent that had served as the command post. A young woman with long dark hair and pale lavender Byakugan eyes wielding a katana swung it at me. I blocked it with the bloody tri-kunai. "Wait, I'm from Konoha!"

We both stared at each other in shock. I finally broke the silence, "The leader is dead. These people are acting against orders from the Tsuchikage, so don't blame Iwa for this."

She nodded, still studying me, "If you surrender, we will let you return to your home."

"I told you, Hyuga-san, I'm from Konoha!"

"Prove it," she replied with a flat tone.

I stood tall, "I am a Konoha Jonin and a medical ninja who fought in the Third Shinobi War. My sensei was Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, and my teammates were Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha."

Her mouth fell open in shock. "You are Rin Norita?"

I nodded, "Yes, I am Rin Norita. Do you need anymore proof, Hyuga-san?" I held up the tri-kunai. "I have this and for additional proof, I need you to answer a question for me." She nodded, still looking like she was trying to figure out if I was lying. "What happened to Naruto, my sensei's son? I was the medic who attended Kushina when she gave birth. Kushina died from blood loss, and Minato-sensei died sealing the Kyuubi into baby Naruto. How is he?"

She was stunned by my words, that much was obvious. "You know Naruto is the heir of the Namikaze clan. Only five people in Konoha know that. I believe you are Rin. Come with me, my Jonin sensei will be able to confirm your identity. Please, don't mention Naruto is the Yondaime's son. The other members of our team don't know."

"Who are you?" I asked, grabbing my tattered backpack out of the tent.

She proudly smiled, "Hinata, former heiress of the Hyuga clan, Konoha Chunin, and wife of Naruto Uzumaki."

"You're Naruto's wife?" I was in shock. _Naruto is married? I guess I still see him as the little toddler I was going to adopt._

"Yes, we've been married for almost four months now." She blushed slightly as she spoke. "Come, Naruto and Sakura are waiting for me."

* * *

We traveled for a short distance before we overtook a blonde teen wearing a black and orange jumpsuit. Hinata ran straight toward him. "Naruto, where is Sakura?" she asked as she flung herself into his arms. I struggled to catch up to them, a group of ninken keeping pace with me. They looked vaguely familiar, but I wasn't focused on them. My gaze was fixated on the blonde embracing his wife.

"Sakura left to get back to camp as soon as possible. She's worried about Kakashi-sensei and Sai. She thinks that if Sai isn't careful, he may reopen his wound." He paused and asked, "Hinata-hime, who is this?"

I stepped forward, trying to stop my gaping at him, but failing. I was unable to find the right words to say, but Hinata saved me, "She is a Konoha medical ninja who was being held a prisoner by the Iwas for several years. Am I right?"

I nodded, "Yes, I've been a prisoner for around fourteen years. The Iwas held me for my medical skills and because of who my Jonin sensei was. They really didn't like him."

"Hinata, how are you sure she is a Konoha ninja? Er, why are you staring at me?" Naruto asked, now looking uncomfortable with my staring at him.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," I apologized, "but it is amazing how much you look like your father. Hinata believed me when I told her you are my sensei's son. I was the medic who delivered you and failed to save your mother's life that night. I used to visit you in the orphanage, but the last time I saw you, you were three. Of course you wouldn't remember me. My name is Rin Norita, medical ninja and Jonin of Konohagakure." I stopped talking, realizing that I had been rambling. _I'm not going to tell him that I was going to adopt him._

"Kakashi-sensei's old teammate? He said that you were dead!" Naruto exclaimed.

"No, I was captured and kept alive, because they knew I was the one who successfully transplanted Obito's Sharingan eye to replace Kakashi's destroyed left eye. They wanted to capture Hinata and force me to do the procedure again." I paused, and then looked at them, "Kakashi is your sensei?!"

Hinata grinned, "Yes, and I believe he'll be very happy to see you. I admit, I don't think we have ever seen him on a date."

I blushed at her statement, which just seemed to confuse her husband. "That baka! He is so stubborn and dedicated. I need to have a talk with him."

"Rin, we have a question for you. Did you hear about any other Konoha shinobi attacking those Iwas?"

"No," I replied, puzzled. "It was just three of you." They looked at each other, identical looks of worry on their faces. "For the last two weeks I've been hearing about the pink-haired genjutsu user, the katana wielding Hyuga kunoichi, and the ninja who looked way too much like the Yellow Flash. They began calling you the next Sannin."

"WHAT!" Naruto and Hinata exclaimed together.

I laughed, "The title was given to the Sannin by an enemy of Konoha who was impressed by their fighting skills. Apparently the tradition has been followed."

Naruto exclaimed, "The Iwas call three Chunin the next Sannin? I can't wait to tell this to Tsunade-baachan." Hinata nodded weakly, still trying to process what I had told them.

"Tsunade Senju, yes, I heard a rumor she became the Godaime after Orochimaru killed the Sandaime," I mused out loud. "What compelled her to return to Konoha?" _I remember her telling Kushina-neechan that she would never go back._

Naruto smirked, "She lost a bet with me that I couldn't master the Rasengan within a week. I did, so she had to come back."

We all laughed at that. "I believe that Minato-sensei and Kushina-neechan are very proud of you, Naruto," I said, fighting back tears. "I wish I had been there for you these past years."

"It's not your fault you were captured," Naruto replied. I nodded, but wasn't convinced. _I could have done something different to keep my promise to them, but I failed._

I followed them back to their camp, where we were met by a pink-haired shinobi. "Who is that? We aren't taking prisoners, Naruto and Hinata."

"We are returning her to her home. She is a Konoha ninja who was captured fourteen years ago. They kept her alive because she had successfully transplanted a Sharingan eye to replace a teammate's destroyed eye. She's a medical ninja, so you have some help with Kakashi-sensei and Sai," Hinata told her teammate.

"Sakura, meet Rin Norita, Konoha Jonin and student of the Yondaime Hokage. Rin, this is our teammate, Sakura Haruno, Konoha Chunin, medical ninja, apprentice to the Slug Sannin Tsunade Senju, and student of Kakashi Hatake," Naruto introduced us to each other.

"Kakashi-sensei's old teammate?" she gasped, then sagged with relief. "Maybe you can help him. He was injured and overused his Sharingan again, and he's been practically comatose for the past three weeks." She paused, "He's been talking in his sleep about the mission where he lost his eye. Sai is doing fine, I moved him out of Kakashi's tent so he won't smother him to get him to shut up."

I immediately offered, "I'll help with Kakashi. I know that he is still dealing with guilt from that mission. He is such a stubborn fool, he won't let go of it, even though both Obito and I forgave him for his choices. He needs to learn how to forgive himself."

"I'll take you to him," Hinata said, adjusting how her katana hung on her back. Naruto stayed at his wife's side while I followed them to the tent where Kakashi lay inside. Hinata opened the flap to let me in. "Rin, I'll bring you some food and water. Once Sensei is able to travel, we'll return to Konoha. Our mission is complete."

I paused for a moment, taking in the unconscious person I thought I would never see again. I nodded, moving to sit by Kakashi's side. "If you need anything, let us know," Naruto offered, handing me my tattered bag and a blanket. "If you find any of his books, feel free to give them to us. They make great fire starters."

"Jiraiya's books?" I asked, sounding slightly disgusted, "Don't worry, I will." _Kakashi, Kushina-neechan would skin you alive for reading the stuff he writes, and I probably would have helped her.._

"Please help him, Rin, we can't," Hinata pleaded. Naruto took her hand and squeezed it in a comforting gesture.

"I'll do my best," I promised as they left me in the tent with my passed out former teammate. "Kakashi, what idiotic thing have you done this time?"

"He overused the Sharingan again." I was surprised to find Pakkun in the tent with us. "Rin, long time, no see. He almost went crazy when word came back that your squad had been annihilated."

"Hello, Pakkun," I greeted the leaders of Kakashi's summons. "It's been a while. I was captured instead of killed because I am a medic. I'll see if I can bring him out of this."

"If anyone can, it's you. I'll be outside if you need me, taking a nap."

"Hinata said the mission was complete, so you can rest." The pug nodded gratefully and left us alone in the tent.

I sat down next to him and performed a diagnostic jutsu. "Well, Sakura did a great job with your wounds. What could I expect, with her being apprenticed to Tsunade? I can't get over how much Naruto looks like Minato-sensei, except he does have Kushina-neechan's personality. Hinata is just as beautiful and gracious as Hitomi. Do you remember her? Kushina's best friend and I will never forget how they began plotting when they found out that Hitomi was due with a girl ten weeks after Kushina was due with Naruto. I was the attending medic for both of them, and was able to save Hitomi's life after she developed complications during labor." I impulsively placed his head in my lap and began running my fingers through his wild silver hair. "I'm sure Hitomi was pleased when Hinata married Naruto. Remember the orphan I was going to adopt, the one I confided in you that Minato-sensei had sealed the Kyuubi into? It was Naruto I was looking after. I wanted to tell you that Minato and Kushina's son was alive, but the Sandaime forbade me from telling you."

He thrashed a bit in his sleep and muttered something. It was mine and Obito's names. I stayed quiet until he had calmed again.

"You must think I'm a ghost. I wasn't killed, Kakashi. I was captured by those bandits because I am a medic, and turned over to the Iwas for the bounty on my head. The Iwas kept me alive and treated me well, just threatened me a lot. The leader of these rogues was hoping they could capture Hinata and force me to remove her eyes and transplant them into one of their people. When Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura attacked the camp, I used the tri-kunai Sensei gave me to kill the leader. Hinata found me and brought me back here. You should be proud of your team. The Iwas were calling them the next Konoha Sannin."

He shifted yet again and this time I heard the words, "Rin-chan, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I told him, "it wasn't your fault that I was captured. Actually, it's because of you the Iwas didn't kill me. They wanted me to do what I had done with Obito's eye again. I never did. I would have killed myself before they could have forced me. Kakashi, Obito was like a brother to me, like he was to you. I told him that, and he accepted it. He knew I given my heart to you when we were eleven. That's why he told you to protect me. Not for him, but for you. Because he could tell you cared for me as well, even if it was almost impossible to see." I kept running my fingers through the wild silver hair. "He wanted us both to live, and for you to not break my heart. He told me that before he died."

It stayed like that for the next three days. I would stay with Kakashi, holding him, talking to him, and trying to get him to forgive himself. In the evenings, the four Chunin would join me in the sick tent and listen as I told them stories of my missions as a Genin and Chunin during the Third Shinobi War. They laughed at hearing of the bell test we had been given, and all of us shed tears as I told of that last mission together, to destroy the Nannabi Bridge. They in turn told me of what had been going on in Konoha during the time I had been held prisoner. I was very sad to hear that Hinata's mother had died when she was six, giving birth to her little sister, Hanabi.

It was almost lunchtime of the third day since I had arrived at the camp. Kakashi's head was in my lap again, and I was at a lost for how to wake him. _Kushina-neechan, you always gave me great advice about things I was embarrassed to ask Sensei about. What would you say to me now?_

I began rambling again as I focused on my memories of my adopted neechan. "Remember how we could tell Sensei liked Kushina? Obito would always ask him how his girlfriend was. You always kept an eye on them when they were together, and I asked her for advice on boys. I finally asked her if she liked Sensei and she blushed and nodded. You asked Sensei when she was in hearing distance, and he had no choice but to answer honestly. Next thing we know, they were making out in front of the three of us. I still have the pictures." I giggled, "She had a really pretty voice. Let me see if I can remember a piece of her favorite song."

I began to sing,

"In the heat of summer sunshine,

I miss you, like nobody else,

In the heat of summer sunshine,

I kiss you, and nobody needs to know."

I spoke again. "It is a song from Uzugakure. Remember how Kushina-neechan would sing them to distract us when we were all trying to focus on something? I remember how both you and Obito hated how she would call you two her little brothers, but I enjoyed it when she was in charge of training us when Minato-sensei had to leave on a mission. I remember that song the best because we heard her singing it before we left on the mission where Obito died. When we returned, that's when we found out that Sensei had proposed to her before we left. They eloped six weeks later, and the only witnesses were Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama, the two of us, and the Sandaime Hokage. I still find it funny that Naruto and Hinata eloped just like they did. I know now what she meant by singing that when we left. Even when they were apart, he was always in her heart, and she was in his. It made the distance not seem so great. I felt the same way when I was captured. I thought of you every single day, wondering if you were okay, and if you were able to forgive me for not coming back, like I had promised. There I go, rambling again. I never used to do this, but I had almost given up hope of seeing you again. There is one thing I want to do, so please, don't be mad at me."

Before I could lose my nerve, I pulled his mask down and placed my lips on his. _Oh, wow, his lips are soft._ I began to pull away, but was surprised to find I couldn't. There was a hand on my neck preventing me from pulling back. I mentally shrugged and continued the kiss.

When we finally broke for air, I pulled back enough to see him staring at me. "Rin, am I dreaming? You were killed fourteen years ago."

"No, I wasn't. I was captured by that group of bandits that killed the rest of the team. They gave me to the Iwas when they discovered that I was one of Minato Namikaze's students. The Iwas kept me alive, hoping that they could force me to transplant a kekkei genkai if they managed to capture one. Besides, would a dream feel like this?" I leaned in and kissed him again.

Once the kiss was done, I helped him sit up. "Your students have been worried sick about you. You won't believe what they have done while you were out. Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura took care of the entire battalion in just three weeks. I was forced to treat the wounded, and it reminded me of Minato-sensei's handiwork."

"I have been out of it," Kakashi muttered, "What about Sai?"

"He had a bad injury to the abdomen, but he's almost fully recovered. We just needed you to wake up before we could go home."

"I kept having dreams of you talking to me," he murmured, gripping my hand tightly.

"I've been talking non-stop for three days," I replied. I was looking at him carefully, feeling a little apprehensive.

"Did you mean what you said? Obito was like a brother to you, and he told me to take care of you for my sake, not his? He was okay with the two of us?"

I nodded, "Yes, he was. I also think Sensei is rolling his eyes and saying it's about time. And yes, I know Naruto is Minato-sensei's son. I am the medic who delivered him."

"I didn't find out until right after Naruto and Hinata eloped. Tsunade informed Hiashi, so he wouldn't seal Hinata for marrying Naruto."

"Kushina would be happy, and not just for them."

"You mean us as well?" Kakashi laughed, "Better late than never." We kissed again. The flash of a camera startled us out of our kiss.

"About time, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out, causing the two of us to blush when we realized we were caught.

Hinata laughed, "Rin, you just solved one of the biggest mysteries in Konoha. What does Kakashi-sensei really look like?"

"And now we have proof," Sai added, pointing toward the camera.

"It looks like you have fully recovered, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smirked, "Can we go home now? Rin is coming with us, so she can watch out for you." They all laughed as Kakashi pulled his mask on, clearly embarrassed. Sakura then glared at Naruto with cold, green eyes, "What did they mean by you are their sensei's son, Naruto?"

"Sakura, I wanted to prove myself to everyone before I told people my real name! I didn't want everyone treating me different because I'm the son of the Yondaime! Please, don't say anything until I do!" Naruto pleaded.

Sai nodded, "That makes sense, otherwise the villagers would have started treating you like they treated Sasuke. How long has Hinata known?"

"I was there when Tsunade told Naruto, almost a year ago," Hinata replied. "He's still Naruto; his last name is just different. I don't care."

"Everyone, let's head back tomorrow," Kakashi broke into their discussion. "Why didn't you send for reinforcements?"

They looked at him. "We did," Naruto finally spoke up, "But they never came. We think something happened to them on their way here. We were going to investigate on our way back to Konoha."

Kakashi said what everyone was thinking, "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

On our way back, we managed to rescue the squad that was supposed to reinforce their team, and what they told Kakashi's team clearly shocked them. Later that night, Kakashi explained to me what was going on with the last Uchiha and his Team Taka.

We stopped at the gates to Konoha and the guards let us in, while summoning some medics to come and retrieve the members of Yamato's squad. Once they were in the medics' capable hands, I turned my face to Konoha. Tears made their way down my face as I saw my home for the first time in over ten years. It had changed, but it was still Konoha. I could see the Hokage's faces carved into the mountain, with the newest addition, Tsunade Senju. _I am finally home._

"Changed a bit, hasn't it, Rin-chan?" Kakashi asked.

"It's still my home," I replied before taking his hand in mine.

"It's amazing, despite the attacks from Otogakure and the Akatsuki, Konoha is still here and going strong," Naruto told me, his arm wrapped around Hinata's waist.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, and quietly added, "The will of fire lives on, despite the attempts of others to put it out."

Suddenly, we noticed a bunch of teenagers and three adults coming to meet us. I recognized Kurenai Yuhi and Tsunade Senju. I hid behind our group, trying not to attract attention.

One of the adults, who looked familiar, wearing a terrible green suit and having a bowl-style haircut, was the first to speak. "Oy, Kakashi, my eternal rival, we are tied yet again. This time, you pick the challenge."

_What is this guy's problem?_ I could tell Kakashi was smirking underneath his mask. "How about this? I have done something which you haven't."

"What is this? Tell me, and then I will tell you if I have also done it."

"Have you ever thought the girl you have had feelings for since you were thirteen was dead, and then fourteen years after her disappearance, you find out she's still alive and has been held as a prisoner of war? On top of that, you find out that you still love her and, miraculously, she still loves you and has forgiven you of all the stupid things you have done?" Kakashi casually said, not betraying what he was feeling at all. I stayed hidden behind him, trying not to make a noise.

"When did this happen, and who was this girl?" He demanded, obviously wondering if Kakashi was messing with his head.

I stepped out from behind Kakashi. "I'm Rin Norita, Konoha Jonin, medical ninja. I was on a squad with Minato Namikaze as my Jonin sensei, and my teammates were Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha." I suddenly narrowed my eyes at him, and finally recognized him. "I remember you! You were that insane Genin who was assigned to take the Chunin exams with Obito and I, because Kakashi had made Chunin when he was six. You kept challenging Obito to do the most ridiculous things, he told you to shut up, the two of you began fighting, and nearly got us kicked out of the second part of the exam!" _Isn't his name something like Might Guy? Yeah, that sounds right._

Everyone began laughing when I stopped. Guy and a teenager wearing the same terrible outfit were looking scandalized. A male Hyuga spoke up, "He really did that?"

I nodded, "He wanted to prove he was better than the students of Konoha's Yellow Flash."

"That explains a lot," Kakashi muttered. "Did he?"

"We all got promoted, but Obito did beat him in the third round finals," I smirked. "I'm not sure, and I really don't care."

"Did every member of your squad have the same vibes of coolness?" Guy yelled in frustration.

"Not all of the time. You should have seen us when our sensei had to go somewhere and his girlfriend was put in charge of training us," Kakashi reminisced. "Red Whirlpool was quite the task master."

"And prankster," I added, "She never did anything halfway, and made sure we never did, either." I laughed, "I still remember her making out with Minato-sensei right in front of us. Oh, I really miss them all: Obito, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-neechan."

"Kushina did call you the little sister she never had," Tsunade replied. "Welcome home, Rin Norita."

"Tsunade-sama, congratulations on becoming Hokage," I replied, bowing slightly. _Kushina must be happy that you returned to the village as the Godaime Hokage._

Tsunade laughed, "Don't congratulate me. The paperwork is a nightmare. It is good to see you again, Rin. I'll expect a full report from you in two weeks time, so I can figure out what I should do about this interesting development in our relations with Iwagakure." She then faced Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura, "I am impressed to hear you three were able to complete your mission on your own without any additional help. Those Jonin trials should be a cakewalk for you three."

"You should know, according to the Iwas, there is now a new set of Konoha Sannin," I informed everyone.

"Really?" Tsunade asked, sounding interested. Everyone was hanging on my every word.

"They are the Genjutsu expert and senbon user, Sakura Haruno; the Taijutsu expert and Katana princess, Hinata Hyuga-Uzumaki; and finally, the Ninjutsu expert and kunai fighter, Naruto Uzumaki. They took care of over fifty Iwa shinobi in less than a month's time. I had been forced to care for the Iwa ninja, and it reminded me a bit of Minato-sensei's handiwork."

A kid who was obviously a Nara commented, "Who would have believed that the next Sannin would be Billboard Brow, the spineless princess, and the hyperactive knuckle head?"

I laughed at what he called them, "That is what they were calling Sakura, Hinata, and Naruto, believe it." They all cracked up at my choice of words. "What's so funny?" I asked, not getting the joke. That caused them to laugh even harder.

* * *

"Hello, Hinata," I said, giving the very pregnant Jonin a hug. It had been almost a year since my return to Konoha and some things had changed. Kakashi and I had become an official couple within a month of my return, Team Taka was becoming a major problem, we were trying to restore our relations with Iwagakure (Tsunade screamed at the Tsuchikage for nearly an hour when she had met with him next), and Hinata was less than a month away from giving birth to her and Naruto's first two children.

"How was your mission assisting the hospital in Wave country?" she asked. Kakashi and I had just returned from a three month long mission to Wave. I taught their medics some basic things and assisted with getting the hospital up and running, but we had another reason for going as well..

I grinned at her and held up my left hand where a wedding ring now sparkled. "Mission accomplished. We took a leaf out of Minato and Kushina's book." Both Kakashi and I knew we didn't want to have to deal with the circus of a wedding, so we had eloped in the first week of that mission. We also knew that we wanted to be with each other for the rest of our lives, and had learned the hard way to not waste time.

She giggled, "It's about time. You two have been almost inseparable since we found you."

"Where's Naruto?" I asked, normally he was by Hinata's side at this time of day.

"Tsunade had to send him and Neji on an A-rank mission, something about possible information on Sasuke and Team Taka. I'm scared that I might go into labor before he gets back. Tenten is staying with me while they are gone, so that helps." She sighed, trying not to seem so worried.

I gave her a sly smile, "I'll be finding that out for myself in seven months."

She gasped, "You two didn't waste anytime."

"We're both thirty-two," I replied, "We don't have as much time as you and Naruto. There is one thing we have decided, if the baby is a boy, we're naming him Obito." I was smiling, unable to contain my joy.

"Congratulations, Rin Hatake. The two of you deserve to be so happy." She grinned back at me and asked, "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"Guy is trying to talk him into yet another crazy contest. We were gone for three months, what does he do when Kakashi isn't around to challenge?"

"Train to beat him the next time he's around?" Hinata laughed, and whispered, "Just so you know, Tsunade will be retiring in a year's time."

"Who will be her replacement?"

"Naruto will be. She'll also be announcing his true name at the same time. The Rokudaime Hokage will be Naruto Namikaze, son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki."

"Minato and Kushina would be very proud of him," I said.

"I think they are," she replied with quiet conviction, "I also think they are happy for the two of you. Obito as well." She paused, and peeked into Tsunade's office. "Tsunade can see you now. It's good to have you home, Rin. Now maybe you can help when my twins arrive."

"It's good to be home, Hinata." _Yes, it is good to be back. I'm married to Kakashi, expecting a baby, and have many friends, both new and old. I am so happy to be home. _I paused, looking out the window at the Hokage monument, straight at my sensei's face. _I am sorry I wasn't able to keep my promises, but I will continue to help and serve this village and your son, Sensei. You can count on that. _I laughed as I entered the office to report to Tsunade.

* * *

A/N, take two: I love happy endings. I know that Kakashi might seem a bit OOC, but I figure that Rin might be someone who would be able to get him to open up. The whole thing about him coming back for her was my little tweak on the Kakashi Chronicles. I highly doubt that Kakashi would have just left her behind, he just would have destroyed the bridge first. Reviews nice, flames, not nice.


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